Home! - Sat Aug 28

We're home safely and reunited with Gus, the cat. The house is in pretty good shape - not bad considering our flaky house sitter.

I taught a final, face-to-face, session on my summer online course at Saint Mary's this morning while Betsy and Casey returned to Redwood Regional Park.

Then an easy 6 hours north to Oregon.

Total miles since leaving Ashland on June 25: 11,070.

Concord, CA - Fri Aug 27

Second to last day...

We woke up in dusty, quiet, rundown Austin, Nevada, and ended up in heavy traffic and a modern Holiday Inn in San Francisco's East Bay.

What a contrast to be driving in the morning, on US 50 in Nevada, with straight roads for 10 miles or more, and very little traffic, to bumper to bumper traffic around Lake Tahoe, and slow and heavy traffic around Sacramento.

One mental health break was a nice hike to Spooner Lake (pictured here), near an eastern summit of the Sierras on US 50. Then a quick dip in Lake Tahoe for Casey, so he could add that to his life list of waters.

Teach a class at Saint Mary's Saturday morning then we hightail it home by dinner time.

Austin, NV - Thu Aug 26

We're retracing our drive from last summer - only going west instead of east. No room at the inn in Eureka, NV, so we called ahead to the little town of Austin, and found a place in a friendly, albeit funky motel. The special story behind Austin is that there is an interesting/strange Stokes Castle here - built as a summer home by the same family that owned property on Upper St. Regis Lake in the Adirondacks. The Castle was supposed to be a summer retreat, and although the views are good, summer is not the time to relax here. The Stokes apparently discovered this only a couple of years after building the place.

We also revisited Great Basin National Park. Last year it poured rain (odd for this season) so we had better views this year. The photo is of Wheeler Peak - which dominates the park.

The extra drive today means we have more free time tomorrow to hike near Lake Tahoe, before returning to the Bay Area for my Saint Mary's class.

Green River, UT - Wed Aug 25

We had a lovely, two day visit in Colorado. We spent the first night in Montrose - east of Pueblo and Gunnison, with welcome vistas and cooling temps.

Tuesday morning we made the famous, scenic drive down through Ouray and Silverton towards Durango. Then a delightful hike and dinner with Laurie and Laurie VanIngen, whom we know mostly from the Adirondacks. They have a townhouse north of Durango and led us on a great afternoon hike, and getting us back just before the late afternoon thunderstorm threatened. They helped us celebrate our anniversary that evening.

Today we continued choosing small roads and lovely scenery, and had time for a hike in the late morning near the little town of Delores, CO.

After re-connecting with U.S. 50 (also I-70 here) at Grand Junction we drove into the sun and moonscape terrain of Utah.

Montrose, CO - Mon Aug 23

With no ill-will towards Jayhawks fans, we were happy to leave the "level" plains of Kansas and eastern Colorado behind us and start climbing in the mountains. We're on U.S. 50, which remains a fun way to travel. The highest point on that highway is Monarch Pass, which we conquered today. The picture looks back east from there.

Tomorrow we get to do more scenic driving and stopping, rather than trying to put miles on the car. And an out-of-context reunion with friends and relatives (all in the same couple) from the Adirondacks who have a place north of Durango.

Garden City, KS - Sun Aug 22

This town name seems like a misnomer. Nice enough hotel and people, but a garden?....nah...

Eastern Kansas was surprisingly hilly and pretty, and then it got flat. Actually our Road Trips book says that Kansas folk prefer "level" to "flat".

Another two thumbs up for getting off the interstate. We were on US 56 for most of the day, and joined US 50 towards the end. Very few trucks, only slightly slower speeds, and much more interesting scenery and towns to go through.

Oak Grove, MO - Sat Aug 21

We had interesting tour at the Louisville Slugger museum in the morning in downtown Louisville. In addition to exhibits and such, we could tour the production facility - walking through the middle of it all. Then, later in the day walking under the St. Louis arch was neat, too.

Since then we've just been putting on miles - trying to get to Colorado as quickly as we can so we can enjoy the mountains.

Shelbyville, KY - Fri Aug 20

We're back (again) on the road again. After a pleasant and relaxing several days with my (Doug) dad in Durham, we've really started our trip west. We had a chance to walk through the Moravian town of Old Salem, near Winston-Salem, and found a house belonging to our daughter-in-law's ancestors. Beautiful drive across, rather than along, the Blue Ridge Mts, and then into pretty West Virginia. Couldn't see the coal mines or the mountain tops sheared off, so it was pretty.

Shelbyville is a ways west of Lexington, KY. We may stop and see the Louisville Slugger museum and bat factory in the morning.

Durham, NC - Tue Aug 17

We're comfortably situated in my dad's cottage at Crosdaile Village in Durham. Hot, steamy weather today but we enjoyed the drive along the Virginia and North Carolina shoreline. The Wright Brothers Memorial at Kitty Hawk was pretty and impressive, and the North Carolina beaches south of Nags Head relatively quiet. Still, we were amazed at all of the development, from New Jersey all the way down to the Outer Banks.

A three day visit here, and then we truly start heading west for home.

Chesapeake, VA - Mon Aug 16

We're near Virginia Beach, VA. This was beach day, with a pretty good part, and a not very good part. More "confession" on the not very good part in Facebook, but the quick story is we got well and truly stuck in the sand near a Delaware beach, and needed a bunch of people to help get us out. We were freed eventually. The commercial build-up down the Jersey and Delaware coast is unbelievable, but there are pieces of unaltered nature that are gorgeous, too. At the good beach story we walked quite a ways with very few people and saw a school (pod?) of dolphins swimming just beyond the surf. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge and (2) Tunnel is an amazing engineering feat. Tomorrow we'll swing by Kitty Hawk, say a quick hello to the outer banks, and then head inland to visit my Dad.

Edison, NJ - Sat Aug 14

We had a great 5 days at Mary's house, though Betsy had to deal with a $1,800 oil change (head gaskets...) while I baked at King Arthur Flour. Friday our niece Susan joined us and we hiked Mt. Cardigan and returned to make our own pizza. Saturday morning Stu and Abbie (Susan's parents and my brother and sister-in-law) drove over from their Vermont ski place for breakfast and a visit.

Saturday afternoon we were on the road again, stopping tonight in northern NJ. We veer towards the Jersey shore tomorrow, get to visit Atlantic City for the first time, ferry from Cape May, and sightseeing along the coast.

White River Junction, VT - Mon Aug 9

Our summer wanderings recommenced, with an easy, beautiful drive from the Adirondacks, through Burlington, VT, and down midway in the state to my sister, Mary's, house in White River Junction. We arrived in time for a quick lunch and then I started my four day bread baking class at King Arthur Flour. We'll be here another 4-5 days, before heading south and down the east coast.

Camp at Last! - Mon Jul 12

We arrived at our camp, Fenacres, today around 5 pm. Smooth driving all the way.

This marks the half way point in our summer journey. We'll be here until August 8, then start wandering again.

In the meantime, we put 5,077 miles on the car since we left Ashland.

No more posts until August.

Philadelphia - Sun Jul 11

A second hard day of driving - leaving the larger corn fields for the hills of West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Happy reunion with Philip and Mary, and Mary's twin sister, Anne. Casey had to adapt to being a city dog, but as he has been on the whole trip, he's a real trooper and is flexible as long as we're with him.

Tomorrow we finish the eastern odyssey - hoping to arrive in the Adirondacks by the end of the afternoon.

Englewood, OH - Sat Jul 10

Back on the road again...

We're kind of in the middle of nowhere in south central Ohio. As liberal effete snobs we weren't too happy with the lack of an NPR station in a big chunk of Indiana, but such is life.

This was a mileage day. We clocked 682 in about 12 hours - including an hour or two of slower, two lane roads leaving Arkansas and entering Missouri.

We're still riding high from Katy's thrilling performance as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni last night. And now we can look forward to seeing Philip and Mary tomorrow (Sunday) night.

Eureka Springs, AR - Mon Jul 5

Somewhere on today's drive we passed 3,000 miles - and a fur piece to go before we're in the Adirondacks.

BUT, we're at the Spider Creek Resort, in a homey cabin, just outside of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. We've re-connected with Katy, met her boyfriend Craig, who is also visiting from New Jersey, and are looking forward to Katy's performance tonight in Carmen.

We'll be here another four days, so this log will take a break. On Saturday, the 10th we'll be on the road again - heading to Philadelphia to see Philip and Mary.

El Reno, OK - Sun Jul 4

Some 500 miles of driving today. Not the most we've done on previous trips, but longer than we've had to do this summer. The driving was broken up by the occasional odd treats along the route - including almost driving by the Mid-Way Cafe in Adrian, TX, which is half way, east-to-west, on the historic Route 66. We also got out and walked around the Cadillac Ranch - picture included. They encourage visitors to add spray paint to the cars "planted" in the earth. Pretty strange.

Tomorrow, July 5 we get to Eureka Springs and a reunion with Katy!

Santa Fe, NM - Sat Jul 3

On Saturday the 3rd we wound up our two day stay in Santa Fe. Early walk down to the plaza, beating the heat (which never really came) and the crowds. We played tag team sitting with Casey in the plaza, watching it come alive with visitors and preparations for the 4th of July pancake breakfast there, while the other went to see the Governor's Palace and the New Mexico History Museum. (Not much to be proud of in the succession of conquests and exploitation starting with the Spanish....)

The real treat was an evening at the famous Santa Fe Opera. We went early and found a picnic table to enjoy supper, then really enjoyed the performance of The Magic Flute. The stage and audience are under cover, in a soaring roofed facility, with the back stage open to the plains and mountains in the distance. The sides are open and we were glad to have come on a quiet night weather-wise. The opening night for the opera had Mother Nature in a starring role with big thunderclaps and heavy rain.

Santa Fe, NM - Fri Jul 2

Despite the location in the title for this note - we spent most of the last two days in and around Taos. We found some drives in the country and a scenic loop around New Mexico's highest peak, Mt. Wheeler. Several times I could see the western side of Baldy Mt. which Philip and I climbed on a Philmont trek with the scouts some 15 years ago. Adobe architecture certainly rules in this part of New Mexico - the photo here is of an iconic church used by Georgia O'Keefe and others in their compositions.

We're now in Santa Fe, with a more "urban" tour planned for Saturday, then the Santa Fe Opera Saturday night.

Taos, NM - Wed Jun 30

We saw plenty of neat scenery today, leaving Arizona and heading into New Mexico. No hikes, partly due to longer driving distances, and also to let Casey rest a tender leg. We found the old restaurant on the side of the Rio Grande that I had visited with scouts some 15+ years ago. Sadly it was closed. Perhaps the highlight of the trip was a visit to this quirky museum north and east of Albuquerque - called the Tinkertown Museum. A maze of little dioramas filled with miniature carved people, animals, etc - all lovingly created and maintained by a guy and his wife. The guy has passed away but the wife runs the cash register. It is a one-of-a-kind place to stop. We'll rest our sleepy bones tonight in this neat, old adobe hotel (see photo), built in the 1920s. Casey even has his own bed in an alcove.

Holbrook, AZ - Tue Jun 29

"If you ever plan to motor [east],
Travel my way, take the highway that is best.
Get your kicks on route sixty-six."

We are just down the road from the Wigwam Motel - where one can sleep in a tipi-style motel room. The joys of driving along Route 66. Interstate 40 runs along the old Rt. 66 - and every now and then the actual road is separate from the interstate.

This was mostly a getting from A to B day. We left Barstow, CA before 6 am, which was a good move since the temps were in the 90s before we stopped for breakfast. The Mojave Desert was more than bleak. We've enjoyed desert trips in the past - in particular a family trip to Death Valley over New Years - and the scenery and vast landscape are breathtaking. Some of these elements with the Mojave, but mostly bleak. Flagstaff, due to elevation, and some afternoon thunderstorms, was cool.

Barstow, CA - Mon Jun 28

We had a nice, morning hike at the lovely named Convict Lake - just south of Mammoth Lakes. Stunning setting, but a foretaste of the temps for the rest of the day - pretty warm.

We then started a sprint down the Owens Valley, past Bishop, with temps over 100. One important stop was at Manzanar Relocation Center, which was one of the first internment camps of U.S. Japanese in World War II. The information center was well done, the drive through the foundations and signs with block numbers sobering, and now they are building new, replica buildings. So hard to believe we could have waived the Constitution so quickly. I saw a clipping from a columnist back in 1942 that sounded so much like Glenn Beck...

We're safely in Barstow. The car thermometer read 107 when we pulled into the motel. Our plan for tomorrow is to get up before dawn, and drive through much of the Mojave Desert and heat in the early morning hours - aiming for cooler/higher Flagstaff.

June Lake, CA - Sun Jun 27

June Lake is on the dry, eastern slope of the Sierra Mountains. We drove up to Yosemite National Park, and were reminded of how gorgeous it is, and we were reminded how lucky we were when we could visit in the off-season while living in California. The crowds were overwhelming. From Yosemite Valley we climbed up to the Tioga Road/Pass, through Tuolumme Meadows, and then down on the eastern side to Mono Lake. Casey even got to play in some remnants of snow banks.

Concord, CA - Sat Jun 26

Today was filled with seeing old, favorite sites, and then Doug teaching an afternoon class at Saint Mary's. The next 9 weeks he'll be with the class online, and then at the end of August, he'll meet them face-to-face again to end the course. We enjoyed walking in the amazing Easy Bay Regional Park system in the morning - on a ridge and then down into the redwood and creek canyon. The day ended with a fun reunion with our friends the Kepharts.

Vacaville, CA - Fri Jun 25

This was an easy first day on the start of our summer journey. We drove about 300 miles down to SF's north bay. Tomorrow I teach a face-to-face class that launches a summer online class for my old employer, Saint Mary's College of California. We'll have dinner Saturday night with good friends and then on Sunday drive through the Sierra Mts, via Yosemite, heading towards Mammoth Lake.